The Theory and Practice of Oligarchical Collectivism From Chapter 9 of 1984

Chapter 1. Ignorance is Strength Since the beginning of time, there have always been three classes: the High, the Middle, and the Low. Aims of these groups: The High wants to remain where it is The Middle wants to change places with the high The Low (if it has an aim) is to create a truly equal society

Ignorance is Strength continued. . . The High inevitably gets overthrown by the Middle; the Low, after being promised an equal society, help the Middle to achieve its aim. When the Middle (the new High) is in power, the Low is thrust back into its old position. The new Middle splits off from the ends of the High or Low (or both). The struggle for power begins again. No revolution has ever brought the people closer to equality.

Ignorance is Strength continued. . . Historians felt history then was cyclical, with an ever-occurring transition of power from Middle to High. While socialism (and the Middle) promoted human equality, new movements such as Ingsoc in Oceania, Neo-Bolshevism in Eurasia, and Death-worship in Eastasia promoted unfreedom and inequality.

Ignorance is Strength continued. . . These new movements wanted to stop the cycle of history – freezing it in one particular time. After the “Glorious Revolution,” the Middle would unseat the High but then remain in power permanently. Human equality, which was becoming a possibility because of technology, had to be stopped for the sake of class distinctions.

Ignorance is Strength continued. . . The new groups seizing power felt equality was dangerous and brought back inhumane practices (such as public executions and imprisonment without trials) to diminish any sense of equality. Ingsoc follows the mold of totalitarian governments (governments which have absolute control over their people).

Ignorance is Strength continued. . . The new leaders were less tempted by wealth than by pure power and put all their focus on crushing their opposition. Because of print, radio, film, and television, these new leaders were able to keep their people under constant surveillance. The people would only be fed government propaganda – all other sources of information would be cut off to them.

Ignorance is Strength continued. . . This led to not just obedience to the State but to complete uniformity on all opinions. “The only secure basis for oligarchy is collectivism” (206). Oligarchy: rule by a few; Collectivism: political principle of centralized social and economic control, esp. of all means of production No Party member owns anything – apart from petty possessions. The Party owns everything. Gov’t is socialist in that no one owns anything but capitalist in that rigid classes still exist.

Ignorance is Strength continued. . . Ruling groups fall because: 1. It is conquered from the outside; 2. It governs badly, and the masses revolt; 3. It allows a strong and discontented Middle group into being; 4. It loses self-confidence. No superstates can conquer each other (problem 1). If the masses never have any other experiences, they don’t know they’re oppressed (problem 2).

Ignorance is Strength continued. . . Big Brother is in charge – infallible and possibly non-existent. Inner Party: 2% of the population (about 6 million) – brains of the state Outer Party: hands of the state Proles: Dumb masses, 85% of the population Weak Inner Party members can join the Outer Party and strong Outer Party members can rise to the Inner Party, but strong Proles are eliminated.

Ignorance is Strength continued. . . Admission to the Parties is by exam at age 16 – not by birth. Party members come from all backgrounds and ethnicities and always leave locally to their area. The Book argues that hereditary aristocracies fail, but aristocracies in which the ruling class chooses its successors (like the Party does) can last forever.

Ignorance is Strength continued. . . The Party is not concerned with perpetuating its blood but with perpetuating itself or its ideals. It doesn’t matter who has the power as long as the hierarchy remains the same. The proles are not dangerous because they don’t need to be educated (since military and economic competition has stopped).

Ignorance is Strength continued. . . Proles “can be granted intellectual liberty because they have no intellect” (210). Party members, however, cannot have any deviation of opinion. Party members are under surveillance 24/7 for their entire lives. Every movement of a Party member is scrutinized because inner turmoil cannot be tolerated.

Ignorance is Strength continued. . . No laws in Oceania – vaporizations aren’t a punishment for crimes. They wipe out people who may become problems later. Party members are trained in childhood to not think too deeply about any topic. (Thinking too deeply will reveal the contradictions of Ingsoc.) Party member cannot have any private emotions.

Ignorance is Strength continued. . . All feelings of dissatisfaction (because of their poor lives) are turned outwards towards hatred of enemies (i.e. Two Minutes Hate), triumph over victories, and awe of the power of the Party. Children are taught crimestop: stopping just short of a dangerous thought (i.e. failure to perceive errors in logic).

Ignorance is Strength continued. . . Blackwhite: “Applied to a Party member, it means loyal willingness to say that black is white when Party discipline demands this” (212). – Party members must know black is white and forget they ever thought otherwise. Doublethink: Acceptance of the continuous alteration of the past

Ignorance is Strength continued. . . The constant alteration of the past is necessary so no one has a point of comparison to how life used to be – people need to believe they are better off than their ancestors. The alteration of the past also allows for the infallibility of the Party – to change one’s mind is to admit weakness, and the Party can have no weaknesses.

Ignorance is Strength continued. . . The past only exists in written record and memory. Since the Party controls both written record and memory, it can change the past however it wants. Doublethink allows for 1. records to be tampered with, 2. people to rearrange their memories to go along with new records, and 3. to allow them to forget any tampering/rearranging has taken place.

Ignorance is Strength continued. . . War enthusiasm is greatest in the Inner Party (the Proles often forget about war entirely, and the people living in the disputed areas don’t care about it at all). Doublethink – “World-conquest is believed in most firmly by those who know it to be impossible” (215). All principles of Ingsoc are contradictory – on purpose.

Ignorance is Strength continued. . . Party rejects family: leader is called Big Brother Preaches against the former working class: makes Party members dress in industrial uniforms Minitrue = lies, Miniluv = torture, Minipax = war, Miniplenty = starvation Doublethink then exemplifies the slogan Ignorance is Strength. (The Party is strong because everyone, including the Inner Party members, are kept ignorant through the rewriting of history and doublethink.)